Don't Look Back
by Animegirl1129
Summary: He read the words again and again. He was Tommy’s weakness? How…? Then it clicked, combining with the kiss just moments ago. Tommy loved him. TommyMerton.
1. Chapter 1

Don't Look Back

**_Dunno where this plot bunny came from... I should have the second part of this up soon... Characters not mine. Hope you like._**

* * *

"Tommy! What is wrong with you?" Lori demanded, her books dropping onto the lunch table in front of him. He was sitting alone today, staring at his best friend from across the cafeteria.

He didn't look up or otherwise acknowledge her presence.

"Answer me!" She ordered, sliding into the seat opposite him, Merton's seat, and grabbing his arm in a vice grip.

He shook his head. "It's better this way."

"What are you talking about!? He's miserable!" She cast a glance over her shoulder at the black haired boy hunched over his lunch, left to his own exile at the otherwise abandoned lunch table.

"Trust me." Tommy growled. "He's better off."

Lori rolled her eyes, let out a frustrated sigh and stormed off to sit with Merton.

* * *

"Merton." The football player stopped his best friend in the hallway, grabbing the boy's arm in a familiar gesture. "We need to talk."

"Yeah?" Merton was digging through his locker, in search of – if Tommy had heard correctly – Goofer dust. Some new thing he'd won off of eBay as protection against evil spirits. Or something.

"I… don't think we should hang out anymore." The words ripped through his own heart even as he said them, but it had to be done. "I don't think we should be friends."

Merton turned to stare at him, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "I… but… why?" Hurt was sketched across his face; Tommy could smell the mix of pain and betrayal coming from his friend.

The football player forced himself to answer. "It's just not supposed to be this way, okay?" he didn't wait for a reply, just walked away. Didn't look back.

* * *

He hadn't counted on Merton fighting back, though. That afternoon after football practice there was only one car left in the parking lot, a very angry Merton leaning against the door.

"I know you're tempted to take off on me, but we need to talk."

It was hard to resist the urge to run away, to not have to face the hurt and betrayal and mistrust in Merton's eyes. But, he did. "Please… Just believe me. You're better off without me. Safer. Please understand…"

The words must have registered, because Merton stood up straighter. "Is this… about the wolf? Or…?"

"No." Tommy met his eyes. "Not the wolf."

"I can help…" He protested, reaching for Tommy's arm, but the taller boy pulled away.

"No." He said again, stepping away. "Just… don't. Okay?"

Merton, fully aware that there was no way he was sticking to that request, merely nodded. His best friend was in trouble! Hell would freeze over before he let Tommy get hurt. "Yeah."

"Good. Promise me."

"Can't do that."

Tommy glared.

"I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that." Before he had barely finished the sentence, he was being dragged away, towards the trees off to the side of the school. "What-?"

Tommy pressed him against a well-hidden tree trunk, brushing his lips over Merton's. "Someone is watching me. I don't want you to get hurt. I can't let you hurt."

Still dazed by the kiss, Merton almost let him escape, regaining enough sense of mind to latch on to the football players sleeve once again. "Let me help." He protested yet again.

"I can't!" Tommy snapped, though he slid his hand into Merton's for the briefest of seconds. "Just… stay away. Please." Then he walked away again. Didn't look back.

Merton found a piece of folded paper in his hand.

Now, satisfied that he had been abandoned for his own safety and not because his non-existent social status, he sat staring at the note Tommy had slipped him. He couldn't believe it.

The Werewolf Syndicate.

_"Tommy Dawkins, _

_We know what your weakness is now. If you don't cooperate with us, we'll take him. You are both being watched, I assure you. Leave him or he dies." _

He read the letter again and again. He was Tommy's weakness? How…?

Then it clicked, combining with the kiss just moments ago. Tommy loved him.


	2. Chapter 2

Don't Look Back

**_Okay, I got part 2 done, even started on part 3. It took a bit longer than I expected to get up, but I've had a busy week, turning 17 and all. :) Characters not mine. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Equipped with this new, valuable information, Merton confronted Tommy again. They didn't often go to Tommy's house, Merton's was usually more convenient and safer, but it was clear the werewolf was not going to risk coming to the Lair, so Merton would have to go to him, it seemed.

"Hello, Merton." Tommy's mother offered a smile when she opened the door for him. "Tommy said he's not feeling well, but I'm sure he'd be glad to see you. He's upstairs." She explained, ushering him inside. Merton was silently grateful that Tommy hadn't had him banned from the house.

He flashed a quick grin in return, replying with a polite, "Thanks," before heading upstairs. He knocked on the door to Tommy's room, walking in without waiting for a response.

Tommy had obviously not been expecting company, though. He seemed glued to his computer, which was weird enough by itself. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm not letting you face this alone." Merton leaned against the desk beside him. "If the positions were reversed, would you let me?"

Tommy looked up, meeting his eyes. "No, but… I'm supposed to protect you." He dropped his gaze again, fixated on the research he'd been doing.

"Says who, exactly?" The elder asked, reaching to the back of the computer to unplug the mouse so he could get Tommy's attention again. "Why should it be a one-way street? Why can't I help you?"

"I don't… I can't see you get hurt because of what I am again, okay? You mean too much to me to let that happen." The words hung in the ir for a moment before either spoke again. While they were not declaration of love, or anything to that extreme, they meant something, and both boys knew it.

"I know." As soon as he said that, though, he knew Tommy would reply with 'Then why are we having this conversation, you're staying.' So, he amended it with, "I mean, I know how much I mean to you."

Tommy shook his head. "No, you don't."

"I do. Tommy, the reason the Syndicate threatened me to get to you just proves it. They could see it, and we thought they were idiots. I'm amazed everyone we've ever gone up against didn't try it. It's like the most fool proof plan they could have, because we both know that we'd do anything for each other." A pause. "Because we're in love with each other."

Tommy seemed startled by Merton's statement, kind of like a deer caught in headlights, before a wave of relief washed over him. "Each other, huh?"

Merton nodded. "Yeah. Which is why there is no way I'm going to let you do this alone."

The younger boy seemed to process that in his head for a moment before he responded. "We'll see. I do need your help, though."

"With?"

"I was trying to find out where the Syndicate is now. I want this over before they do whatever it is they're planning." He explained, gesturing to the computer screen. "But you know how well I do with computers…"

Merton eyed the screen. "We'll, you managed to find a search engine. That's progress." He teased; plugging the mouse back in before he nudged Tommy out of the way. A few sites and a handful of minutes later, Merton had found the new location for the Werewolf Syndicate. Apparently, they hd their own website now. Gil's doing, no doubt.

"If I say I want you to stay here…" Tommy started, Merton cut him off.

"Then I'll just follow you anyway." His eyes pleaded with the other. "We're in this together, okay?"

"Alright." He agreed solemnly. "If anything happens to you…"

Merton stopped him. "Nothing will, but if something does, it will be entirely my fault and you can't blame yourself."

"Blaming myself will be exactly what I do, but I'm going to agree anyway. If I leave and they know you're following me, then you're not even more worse off. At least if we go together, I can keep you safe." He reached for Merton's hand. "We'll leave tonight, when it gets dark. But I think you should stay here until we do."


	3. Chapter 3

-Don't Look Back-

**_Okay, sorry this part took so long, my BWoC plot bunnies went and abandoned me, and I finally rounded a few up...so... yeah, Enjoy! Characters still aren't mine. _**

* * *

Chapter 3:

"Shh… come on." Tommy prodded, climbing out of his bedroom window with a sort of practiced ease.

Merton, however, was not so swift in his movements. "Slow down. I lack the werewolf stealth, if you remember." He shimmied carefully across the roof, looking down to the ground where Tommy already stood. "You'll catch me, right?"

Tommy rolled his eyes, scanning the area around them for any signs of watchful eyes. "No, I'm really going to let you fall." He deadpanned. "Yes. Yes, I'll catch you. Just hurry up."

The older boy too a deep breath and lowered himself as much as he could before he let go. As promised, Tommy's arms stopped him before he touched the ground and after a brief moment, in which Tommy held a little more tightly than entirely necessary, he was gracefully set on his feet once more, met with a small grin from the werewolf.

"Get in the hearse; I don't want you out in the open more than you need to be." Tommy ordered, lightly pushing the other teen in the general direction of the car. The two clambered into the front of the car, Tommy driving and Merton reading the directions. Finding the Syndicate's hideout had been, not surprisingly, easy enough for someone as good with a computer as Merton. Now, they just needed to count on the element of surprise to gain the upper hand.

They drove until they'd gotten out of Pleasantville, about three quarters of the way to the hideout. "We'll stop here for the night and go after them in the morning." Tommy moved into the back of the car, grateful for the extra room.

Merton followed him back, sitting cross-legged beside his friend. "So, the things you said, earlier, before lunch. You didn't mean them, right? You were just trying to get me to stay away?"

Tommy pulled him down before he answered. "I said things I knew would hurt you. I figured if you were mad enough at me, you'd stay away, and you'd be safe. But, you fought back, so it didn't work all that well." He answered, an arm resting over Merton's chest still.

"I fought back because I felt like something was wrong."

"Because I think you knew, without me telling you, that something was wrong. Which is why I'll tell you now. I'm never walking away from you, okay?" He paused, shifting a bit closer. "Unless you tell me to, you're not getting rid of me."

Merton nodded in understanding. "I'm going to hold you to that." He replied, closing the remaining distance between them for a kiss.

It started out soft and unsure, but then Tommy's hand moved to the back of his neck and the passion between them amplified. By the time they pulled apart, both with kiss-swollen lips and panting for breath, several moments had passed. Despite the fact that the wolf was in no hurry to stop, and neither was Merton, it seemed, as he was still clutching at Tommy's shirt, they needed to be prepared for the fight with the Syndicate.

"We should sleep." Tommy managed, as he fought for control over the wolf.

Merton nodded in agreement though, and shifted closer to the other boy. "Alright."

He wrapped an arm around Merton, holding him as close as possible as he listened to the other's breathing even out. He knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep, not when someone was out there threatening Merton's safety.

* * *

Tommy startled at the sound of several sets of paws approaching the hearse. That did not translate to good any way he thought of it. He didn't even know when he'd fallen asleep, but, he did know they needed to get moving. Now.

"Merton." He said as loudly as he dared, shaking the slumbering figure lightly.

It was enough to wake the other teen, who tried to sit up abruptly, but found himself still trapped in the werewolves embrace. "What's wrong?"

Tommy's ears were trained on the sounds of the nearing intruders. "I think we've been spotted." He moved to the front, pulling Merton with him.

"What do we do now?" Merton asked, terror in his voice as he climbed into the passenger's seat. "How close are they."

"Too close."

Merton's window shattered.


	4. Chapter 4

Don't Look Back

**_I'm so sorry this took so long to get up. My plot line kind of died and I spent forever working out a new one. So... as of now, this follows a kind of AU after 'Thanks' in which Gil dies. Original characters are mine. Any name you recognize as BWoC is not. Enjoy!_**

* * *

_Chapter 4:_

The wolf was insane.

Three of the Syndicate's wolves, these stronger than anytime they'd gone against Tommy before, came down on the hearse. Merton's window shattered, a dent caved in the roof of the cab, just over Merton's head. It was obvious they were gunning for the human who meant so much to the last Alpha.

Tommy drove like a bat out of hell, dodging trees and large rocks scattered about the field he'd plowed into. Staying on the road had been out of the question. He had to lose the wolves. Now. Merton's safety depended on it. Merton could not be hurt because of him. Not when they'd just found each other…

"Hold on!" He yelled, wanting to reach out to his Merton, but needed to have both hands on the wheel to control its erratic, jarring movements.

Merton's knuckles were white from gripping the dash and door handle, but he removed one long enough to point ahead of them, into the branches of a towering tree. "Look out!" He yelled, and Tommy swerved the car to side, right into the tree.

The motion sent the wolf that'd been waiting for them falling out of his perch. He landed hard on the hood of the car, but the damage was only just beginning.

The branch the werewolf had been crouched on fell. Then the windshield shattered, momentarily blinding Tommy of the ability to dodge the rebellious lycanthropes, and he slammed on the brakes. The hesitation allowed those fighting against him enough time to grab Merton from his spot in the passenger's seat.

Dazed by the sudden stop the shower of glass had cause; Merton was unable to put up much of a fight as he was dragged through the remnants of the window.

"Help! Tommy, help!" He heard Merton yell. And he smelled the gut wrenching scent of the elder's spilled blood.

He was about to take chase, when he realized the wolf who'd fallen onto the car remained. His enemy was just coming to.

"Take me to the Syndicate. Now." Tommy demanded, in a voice much too sinister to be his own. His Merton was in trouble, and nothing trigged his wolfy instincts like his mate him danger.

The werewolf he had in a chokehold looked terrified.

"Take me to Merton. Now." He felt power surge through him.

"Yes." The werewolf nodded, lowering his head in a show of submission.

Tommy didn't understand what was happening. He just knew that he wanted Merton. And fast.

The wolf cried out in pain. "Ah! Stop! I'll take you, I'll take you."

Stop? Tommy didn't even know he'd been doing anything. "Stop what?" Silence. "Tell me!"

The wolf winced again, whimpering in pain. "That. Stop that. The orders."

"What are you talking about? You need to take me to Merton." The alpha demanded, growing more and more impatient with every second waster.

"Don't you know what you're doing?" The wolf shouted. "It's the power only the Alpha's have. It's why they want you so bad." He finally blurted, unable to disobey Tommy's order to talk.

"What?" He was sufficiently confused enough to stop demanding things and let the other werewolf explain.

"The Syndicate wants you because you're the pack leader. What you say goes, and they want your power."

Tommy took a moment to piece this together in his mind. "I've told them to leave me alone before, but they haven't. Why'd it work on you?"

The wolf, still looking thoroughly scared, answered hesitantly. "How much control are you giving the wolf right now? You let the human side go when they took your friend and your pack leader instincts took over."

So, he could do this because of Merton? Okay. This could work.

"Will you show me where they've taken him?" He asked, trying not to command anything.

The wolf nodded, grateful for the reprieve. "Yes."

* * *

The werewolf's name was Rafe. He was a new wolf in the Syndicate's group, he'd been impressed by Tommy's fight against evils. The Syndicate had told him that Tommy was the enemy, but he could see now that they'd been lying to him.

They moved downwind of the Syndicates lair, creeping steadily closer while making sure no one was tracking them.

Being the Syndicate, though, their security had huge holes and they duo managed to get inside without much of a problem. Rescuing Merton, as it turned out, seemed to be substantially harder.

They had his Merton locked in a cage, with the three strongest werewolves guarding him. He doubted any of them would be fooled by stupid tricks like he and Merton had once tried to pull to escape the Syndicate. Gil was much more gullible than those guarding Merton now. Besides, his love was still unconscious and then scent of blood still assaulted his nose.

"Where's Gil?" Tommy demanded, when he realized a confrontation with the Syndicate leader was going to be a necessity.

Rafe paled. "Dead."

"What?"

"I haven't been here long, but the talk says that some woman with a death kiss killed him." The other werewolf explained.

The memories of Sloan's attack replayed vividly in his mind. He recalled Gil diving out of the way of a lethal kiss, but he didn't remember the strange man getting hit. He'd been too focused on Merton at the time. "Oh. Who's in charge now, then?"

"His name is Marcus. He took over just after Gil died, so I've heard. He's… not very merciful." Rafe explained.

They snuck their way into the central room of the lair, where Marcus would surely be.

"I see you've captured us our Alpha, then." Marcus grinned. "That will be all, Rafe. Our friend, the murderer, here, has some things to answer to."

Rafe backed up to the entrance to the room. Marcus had to know he was still lingering, but the man didn't seem to care.

"I want Merton back now." Tommy growled.

"I see you disobeyed my orders, pup." The man practically snarled back. "I can't say I didn't expect it. I just hoped you would know better. For your mates sake. It seems we are alike in that matter, though."

Tommy made to order the Syndicate release Merton again, but Marcus just ignored him. "why are you doing this? Just because I'm an alpha?"

Marcus seemed to be practically seething with rage by then. "No, hardly. I could care less if you're an alpha. I want you dead. Or suffering. Something to cause the pain you caused me."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen you before."

"I know. That's because Gil should be running this and I should be down in the ranks where I belong." He inhaled sharply, sending a reverberating growl through the room. "But, you killed him. You killed my mate. So I'm going to kill yours."

Tommy gasped. He needed to get Merton out of here. "I didn't kill him. Sloan did." He defended. "He got himself killed working with her."

"You were the target that night. You. Not him. You and your mate. It's too late for talk now. He'll be dead soon anyway. Or. Maybe we should turn him. Let him join us. We know he was rogue before. It would tear you apart to have to destroy him yourself. Yes… there's a plan."

The wolf was fuming again. Not quite enough for the whole pack mind thing to work quite yet, but close. "Don't you dare touch him." He threatened, a low, threatening snarl ripping through him.

"You gonna stop me, pup?" Marcus laughed, as several of his wolves stormed in, restraining him.

"Let me go!" He roared, fighting, struggling, anything to get to Merton. To save Merton.

Marcus grinned. "I think it's time I go visit my prisoner. I'll need to decide his fate."


	5. Chapter 5

Don't Look Back

**_Alright, this one didn't take me quite as long to get up. And I'm pretty sure there'll only be one more part, so yeah. Um. Enjoy! And you all know they're not mine by now, right? Other than Marcus and Rafe. Because they are._**

* * *

_Part 5:_

Merton woke slowly, blearily aware that something wasn't right, even if he was not currently aware of what that something was. His skull was throbbing and all he really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep for the next year, but he knew he needed to wake up.

"Ah, I see our guest is finally awake, then." An unfamiliar voice spoke from somewhere in the darkness of Merton's mind.

He forced his eyes open, spotting a black robed man standing on the other side of the Syndicates dungeon. "Who… who are you?" The teenager managed, searching for Tommy. He touched a hand to the sorest spot on his head and came away with flakes of dried blood.

Then he remembered… He remembered being pulled out of the hearse, with Tommy dodging several werewolves who'd threatened to kill him if Tommy didn't stay away from him.

"My name is Marcus. I'm the leader of the Syndicate now." A wicked grin crossed the man's face, and Merton shrunk back into the corner of his cell.

"Where's Tommy?"

The man nodded to two other wolves, who approached the cage. "You'll see him soon enough. Just as soon as I decided what to do with you."

* * *

"Marcus has requested that I be the one to guard our honored guest. You two can take off." Tommy recognized the voice even though he was in the next room, chained to the wall. He heard the two guards mumble and walk off. They were lower in the ranks than Rafe and therefore obliged easily enough.

"Rafe…?" He called out, once the others were far enough away.

The door opened and Rafe walked in, a golden key in hand. "We don't have much time."

Tommy rubbed his wrists when the chains fell away. "Thanks. Have they hurt Merton?"

Rafe shrugged in response. "I came straight here. Marcus is downstairs in the cells with your boy now. If he was unharmed, he won't be that way for long."

"Let's go." Tommy said, taking off towards the smell of Merton, with Rafe on his heels.

* * *

"Now then," Marcus began, pacing in front of Merton and the two wolves who held him. "I could simply kill you on the spot… Tempting, I must say, especially considering that it is your fault Gil is dead. It was you who sicced that vampire on us, was it not?"

Merton wisely chose not to admit to such a thing.

"No matter. Who kills you is merely a detail, as far as I'm concerned, though I would take pleasure in doing it myself. You'll die either way. My other option is to turn you, and, since we already know you're not another anomaly, you'll be evil and your beloved alpha will be forced to dispatch you, or else die himself. Whichever one of you dies, I'll have my revenge."

The nerves got to him, then. He started his erratic gasping and stared wide eyed at the man threatening him. Around now, he'd usually be cowering behind Tommy. "Wow, you guys sure have gotten more efficient with all this new management. Gil couldn't organize a bake sale."

And that was clearly the wrong thing to say.

Marcus' eyes glowed and he let out a ferocious growl. "That's it. You die." He turned to another pair of wolves. "Call the others. Fetch the alpha and bring him down here to watch."

Merton paled. This had not gone to plan at all.

* * *

"We have to save him." Tommy growled, moving to start out into the middle of the crowd of waiting werewolves.

Rafe's hand curled around his arm, holding him back. "No, you can't just barge out there. That's suicide with that many of them."

Tommy didn't look thrilled by the abrupt halt to his plan. "Just what would you like me to do then, exactly? We're in a bit of a time crunch here, if you've noticed."

"Be smart. Use your alpha powers. They all rank under you. You can control every one of them, even Marcus. You could even reign in your friend if they did turn him." The other wolf explained. "Although, I should tell you, it's not fun being on the other end of an alpha order."

"I don't know how to use it, though."

Rafe sighed. "How'd you use it with me? What were you thinking about, exactly?"

"Merton. I promised myself I'd keep him safe." Tommy answered, eyes fixed on the terrified form of his mate as they watched from a safe distance.

"Then do that again. He's in danger. Save him." Rafe nudged him forward.

* * *

"Marcus. It seems he's escaped." Another of the higher wolves informed him, this one named Victor. He nodded toward the guards that had been placed with Tommy.

The leader roared. "What? How could that have happened?"

The wolves stepped forward. "Rafe relieved us of duty with orders from you."

"I gave him no such command." Marcus glowered at the duo and they shrunk back amongst the ranks. "Find him. Now."

"Hey, you won't have to look far." Tommy smirked as he stepped right into the center of the wolves.


End file.
